Category: Judentum
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The Holiness of Doing Nothing
Parashat Behar opens with one of the Torah’s most radical ideas. Every seventh year, the land of Israel must observe a shmita [sabbatical year]. No sowing, no pruning, no harvesting. The fields are simply left alone. Not because the land is broken, but because rest is not a reward for good work. Rest is a commandment.
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Exploring Faith and Autonomy
My Interview on Bordering On Belief I recently had the lovely opportunity to sit down for a deep dive into the heart of Reform Judaism with the Bordering On Belief podcast. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the values that guide my work and my faith, particularly the idea of “informed autonomy” (the…
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Our Civic Covenant: Faith and Democracy
In a time of deep societal division and rising anxiety, Rabbi Adrian Schell delivers a powerful address for Civic Shabbat, “A Covenant of Courage.”Drawing on the ancient call to Abraham in Parashat Lech Lecha and the prophet Micah’s vision of peace, Rabbi Schell explores the urgent challenge of our time: the breaking of our “civic…
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What Do You Hear When the World Comes In?
There is a particular sound to the world when heard from inside a sukkah. The solid walls of our homes are designed to keep the world out; the thin walls of the sukkah invite it in. The rustle of the wind through the s’chach, the distant sound of traffic, the neighbour’s conversation—all of it becomes…
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That Verse in Deuteronomy: Reclaiming a Torah of Pride, Not Pain
A single verse in this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetzei, has been used for centuries to exclude and shame transgender and queer people. But is that what the Torah truly intends? In this Pride Shabbat sermon, Rabbi Adrian Schell explores our tradition as a vast, ancient house we inherit—a place of beautiful, light-filled rooms, but…
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False Prophets and Hard Conversations
Let me tell you about something that happened a few weeks ago. It was late, I was tired, and I was scrolling online. I stumbled upon a video, a short, compelling documentary about South Africa and its political history with Israel and the PLO. It was about a subject I thought I knew, but this…
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Progressive Synagogues from Southwest London Joined Pride in London to Celebrate Queer Jewish Visibility
A statement for visibility. Queer Jews and their allies belong at Pride.
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Holiness in the Shadow of History: Lessons from Acharei Mot–Kedoshim and VE Day
On the 80th anniversary of VE Day, this sermon reflects on the powerful intersection of Parashat Acharei Mot–Kedoshim with a moment of both liberation and loss in Jewish and world history.—
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Omer Counting 2025
The Omer marks our journey from freedom to purpose — day by day, step by step. Download your free counting sheet now from my website and join the tradition of sacred time.
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The real test of morality
There’s a reason we come back to the following teaching again and again: Love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. It’s the most often repeated commandment in the Torah—more than keeping Shabbat, more than kashrut, more than any ritual law. Thirty-six times, the Torah reminds us that the way we…
